It didn’t take Rob Bell long to reveal his post-Mars Hill Bible Church plans.
Bell, the pastor who enraged Bible-believing Christians with his book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, resigned from Mars Hill Bible Church last week to pursue a “growing number of strategic opportunities.”
The controversial author is joining forces with Lost co-creator Carlton Cuse to produce Stronger, a television program with a dramatic spiritual bent.
“While spiritual, Stronger won’t be supernatural. It will touch on the spiritual side of people’s lives much like the final season of Lost did,” the says a report in Deadline.
Cuse and Bell will reportedly co-write the script, which is loosely based on Bell’s life. The drama is about the spiritual journey of Tom Stronger, a musician and teacher who helps others.
“While based on biblical principles, Bell’s brand of spirituality is not about hard-core evangelical, fire-and-brimstone teachings,” Vulture reported. “Instead, his goal is to service folks’ spiritual needs without the overlay of religious dogma.”
Vulture also reports a “narrative twist” to the project that will make it “unconventional.” The program will air on ABC, which is owned by the Disney Corp. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“It is with deeply mixed emotions that we announce this transition to you. We have always understood, encouraged and appreciated the variety of avenues in which Rob’s voice and the message of God’s tremendous love has traveled over the past 12 years,” Mars Hill said in a statement when the church announced Bell’s departure. “And we are happy and hopeful that as Rob and Kristen venture ahead, they will find increasing opportunity to extend the heartbeat of that message to our world in new and creative ways.”
